I am bundling an existing inventory item with a new inventory item. What is the best way to record that in MRG?

Original question:

"I recently purchased a DVD player with no remote and am getting ready to list it. I have a compatible remote that works great with it - the remote is already listed and I need to get it bundled in with the DVD player. What is the best way to do that so that I don't lose track of its cost or other notes I've previously made on the inventory item for the remote?"

Answer:

The biggest consideration to highlight here is that the remote was purchased at a different time than the DVD player, so that could impact inventory balances if you combine the two.

Generally speaking, the easy way to record these items together is to take your current "remote" inventory item in MRG and add the purchase price of the DVD player to its purchase price. You'll then update the list date to the date the bundle is listed. The big question is if the purchase date for the remote is in a different year than the DVD player -- 

1. If it is, then it makes more sense to keep the inventory items separate in MRG and record them as a bundle sale when it sells. This is because the purchase date is used to calculate inventory balances at the beginning and end of the year. If an item's purchase date changes, the balance will change, which impacts tax reporting for COGS.
2. If the purchase date is in the same year, then you can add the purchase date of the DVD player to notes column so that you have a record of it. If the dates are in the same year, the inventory balances won't be changed.